Chapter 358
The researchers outside and the pilot of the airship answered my questions faithfully.
As expected, they were Wolf Ranker and Salman’s subordinates on this planet. It is said that they are traveling around to investigate volcanic activity that has suddenly become more active under orders from Ranker. They’re probably trying to find Magmasaur, which only stays in the depths of volcanoes.
‘Because magmasaur affects volcanic activity.’
I can guess why he ordered his subordinates to find Magmasaur.
[Jzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (What did Salman’s special say?)]
“‘Beast God’s Lasso’. “It’s the ability to control wild animals.”
Isabel came out from hiding and answered my question.
Isabel had the power to read information from those she saw with her own eyes. He knows very well what perks, skills, and equipment the rankers he has met so far have. Among them, Wolf Ranker Salman of the Returned Party received a privilege related to timing.
‘There was a lot of talk in the game about giving Wolff training-related skills or preferential treatment.’
There were quite a few people who wanted the fantasy of a wolf beast with a jetpack on its back roaming the battlefield with a rhino monster wearing a reinforced exoskeleton all over its body.
It’s possible to somehow replicate it in games, but I don’t think it’s particularly efficient. This is because it is impossible to establish emotional interactions with NPCs like real-life pets.
“It’s a dream-like ability.”
Sky’s mother, who was also a Wolff player in real life, inadvertently revealed her feelings.
[Zuzu zuzu zuzu zuzu zu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu zuzu (Non-playable animals, only the ones you fight and defeat dominate. Right?)]
“Yes.”
Playable monsters such as Amorph or Outspacer cannot be dominated. And only animals that Salman fights and wins can be ruled.
“And from what I saw before, it seemed like you could only dominate by winning and then using your abilities directly.”
In addition, after winning, the special is activated only when the body is in contact.
Unfortunately, that was all Isabelle knew. This is because the time he spent face-to-face with Salman was not long, so he was unable to read the details.
‘Still, this is a sufficient harvest.’
It is unclear how many creatures can be dominated, but it seems that the highest level Apex, such as Vortex One, is impossible to dominate. It would have been possible to catch Vortex One if he had gotten help from other members, especially 4th place, but seeing as he didn’t.
‘But finding Magmasaur is strange.’
Excluding special abilities and comparing simple combat power, it is one level below the ‘complete ring of agony’. It is true that it is weaker than Vortex One, but it is by no means an easy opponent.
In the game, Magmasaur is treated as a semi-raid boss like the Sea Demon. Even rankers feel quite burdened about going out hunting alone.
‘If it was 1v1, it would be difficult even to use Wolff’s incarnation technique, Strong God.’
Judging from the information we have received so far, Salman is not that strong.
In summary, the enemy ranker is preparing to attack a semi-raid boss-level creature alone without the cooperation of other players.
Then there is only one answer.
‘I plan to take on the challenge with the help of the animals I control.’
Just like when I fought Gallagon or Vortex One with the help of kids.
‘Then the key is how strong the animal he commands is.’
Or maybe the number of animals under his control is quite large.
Whatever it is, it should be considered at least at a level that can fight Magmasaur.
‘We can only find out more than this by gathering more information.’
I should summarize the part about Wolf Ranker here.
I looked down at the humans trembling in their reinforced suits.
These guys are useful because they are looking for Magmasaur. If we use them, we will be able to find out the location of Apex before Salman does.
As I was about to inject parasites into my enemies, something suddenly occurred to me and I stopped.
“You said earlier that it was Dradsong’s territory, right?”
“yes? Yeah yeah. Yes, that’s right.”
“Where is that place?”
“Uh, that’s…”
The researcher is confused by my question. I thought there was no way I would know the coordinates just because they were mentioned.
I snapped my fingers as I pulled the parasite out of my fighting arm. PS-111 from behind approached me.
[Zuzuzu Zuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu (Go inside the airship and check where Dradsong is)]
“Please leave it to me.”
[Zuzzu zuzuzu (and these too)]
I also handed PS-111 three parasites.
The three humans’ trembling became more intense as they saw the wriggling parasite. It’s probably because those bugs know where they’re going.
Of course, I have no intention of seeing it that way.
「To catch Dradsong?」
[Zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu (Yes, because we need it)]
I need Dradsong’s genetic essence, and the Mother of Heaven needs his body.
Among the equipment that Wolf can use, there is equipment that can be made from Vortex One’s body and Dradsong’s body. I plan to use this opportunity to obtain all the equipment materials.
Ten minutes later, PS-111, which confirmed the coordinates, came out of the airship.
“I will guide you to the corresponding coordinates.”
[Zuz zuzu zu (then shall we leave)]
I bent down and lifted the kids up and kicked the ground hard with my strengthened legs. As I spread my wings wide, my body soared upward.
A sky full of volcanic ash is a good hiding place. Because even a huge creature like me can move around without being monitored.
PS-111, held in a small arm near the chest, pointed in a specific direction with its claws.
‘I have to go to the right place and then go down.’
I straightened my neck and tail and stretched out the flaps of my wings. Thanks to the air currents, it was able to maintain a gliding state without flapping its wings.
「This」「Sound」「No」」Good」「Surprise」「Useful」
[Z (Right)]
「Me too」「Can」
Aadhai, who was riding on the head of the center like No. 26, opened his folded wings and began to fly.
Its flight was quiet yet agile, like a futuristic fighter jet often seen in science fiction movies. The guy who once learned fighting and flying skills from me and the Mother of Heaven is now much more skilled than me. Even though we have fought together many times, I get a strange feeling every time I see that little Gallagon grow.
[Zuzu Zuzuzu (Beware of Lightning)]
「I」「It’s Okay」「Big Adult」「More」「Danger」
So I flew with him to a place covered in black clouds. As it is a volcanic planet, there were quite a few active volcanoes here and there. Thanks to this, the flight time became considerably longer than expected.
Approximately 6 hours have passed. The cloud of volcanic ash quickly diminished. I adjusted my wings slightly to lower my altitude.
The wasteland, where lava has hardened and turned black, stretches out endlessly. The atmosphere was very different from where we were six hours ago.
This was a hell where instead of fire and magma, ash and sulfuric acid rain fell.
We landed in a place that didn’t seem to have any life at all. As soon as my feet touched the floor, the hardened surface of the lava caved, and red liquid and flames leaked out.
I moved by stepping on slightly hardened lava as if I were walking on mud.
Sulfuric acid rain pouring overhead, the ground covered in lava, and huge lightning strikes without stopping in the black clouds. If hell were real, it would have an atmosphere like this.
‘What’s surprising is that there are living monsters even in places like this.’
In the distance, a monster resembling a bull can be seen rolling on hardened lava. It was Vulkarox, the monster I first encountered upon arriving at Asuka 44.
They make their metal shells harder by repeatedly dousing themselves in lava and sulfuric acid rain and cooling them down. They do this to survive against the terrifying monsters that inhabit this hellish planet.
The red-hot metal bull looked at me and ran away. Since I was aiming for a different goal, I didn’t bother pursuing it.
“This is Dradsong’s territory.”
After hearing those words, I focused my senses on the auxiliary organ under my chin. The heads on the left and right also bent their necks down to bring their auxiliary organs close to the lava.
The Mother of Sky, transformed into a griffon form, also kept a sharp look ahead with a spear in her beak.
Dradsongs are very territorial. No matter how strong an enemy is, it will never tolerate anyone who steps into its territory.
‘They would have already recognized us by now.’
With the sound of thunder softly ringing, I entered a space filled with poisonous gas. There was a fog of death everywhere, so much so that I couldn’t see an inch in front of me.
“…just 150m away at 2 o’clock. I saw something moving.”
[Zuzuzu (Okay)]
My Heavenly Mother, who has much better eyesight than me, warned me. I focused my auxiliary senses in the direction she said.
Long, thin auxiliary organs writhe and absorb all the surrounding information. Just as she said, I can definitely feel movement over there.
At first glance, it seemed similar to the phenomenon of gas leaking through hardened lava. Because similar natural phenomena are continuing to occur right under my feet.
But you shouldn’t believe it. This is because dragons camouflage themselves in this way when preparing for a surprise attack while targeting their prey.
‘First from here….’
I was preparing to attack, but he was one step faster. Something that looked like a long pole came out of the lava and flew towards me.
「!」
It flew at extremely high speed and tried to pierce the gryphon riding on my back. The Mother of Heaven also belatedly moved her body to avoid it.
However, Dradsong’s attacks are slightly faster. It was clear that if left like this, she would get injured.
I quickly raised my wings and blocked her path. The pole pierced my wing arm, but it allowed me to slow down the enemy’s attack. While I was blocking, the Heavenly Mother quickly jumped down onto the hard black ground.
「Amorph!」
[Zuzu zuzuzu (Everyone be careful)]
The right side of my head bent down to bite the pole that had punctured my arm. Then the long pole bent to the side and avoided being bitten on the right side of the head. ‘It’, which was like a hard spear when it pierced my arm, bent flexibly and returned to the place it came from.
The black ground split and the being that attacked me slowly stuck its head out.
The wide, flat head, reminiscent of a toad, glowed red because of the magma. It opened its mouth and collected the long pole that it had shot earlier, i.e. its long tongue.
I pulled out the erosion tentacle hidden on its back and attacked its head. The six appendages dug through the lava and tried to tear off the monster’s ugly head, but it was no longer there.
A few tens of meters away, the guy popped his head out again. Four eyes are watching me from the blazing flames.
When I moved to attack the guy, he quickly disappeared from the spot.
‘As expected, it’s fast.’
Dradsong, a carnivorous toad that lives in an environment full of magma and sulfuric acid gas.
They are so infamous that it is said that if ice planets have ‘Glacier Fiends’, volcanic planets have Dreadsongs. They are quite similar in that they have a cunning personality that kills their prey by slowly tricking them, and they have a very strong sense of territory.
‘but….’
I too am called an excellent hunter.
I hunted that cunning predator more than a dozen times in the game.
This world is no different. The only difference is the hunting time and process.
It doesn’t change the fact that he will be my prey.
“Watch next episode”